LEVERAGING A STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESS TO ADVANCE SAGEBRUSH ECOSYSTEM CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION PLANNING IN THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN

The imperiled sagebrush ecosystems of western North America continue to undergo widespread degradation due to multiple factors, including climate change, the spread of invasive species, and increased human development and disturbance. This has created a critical need for science-based tools that balance management priorities and guide strategic conservation efforts within these systems. To address this need, we developed the Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET) that uses an adaptable framework to identify optimal areas for conservation or restoration by integrating multiple geospatial datasets including sagebrush recovery potential, abundance predictions for sagebrush-obligate and -associated species, habitat connectivity measures, and potential changes in vegetation based on future climate projections. To maximize the potential for PReSET to improve conservation and restoration outcomes for sagebrush habitats, we initiated a collaborative stakeholder and land management partner engagement effort with the help of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology (ASIST) initiative. Our goals were to directly engage stakeholders and further develop the PReSET framework to better meet strategic management planning needs within the Colorado River Basin. The stakeholder engagement process involved a series of workshops that served as opportunities for information exchange, thereby introducing current capabilities of the tool while also clearly defining the needs, priorities, and resources of stakeholders. We will discuss our stakeholder engagement process, outcomes, lessons learned, and next steps for PReSET applications in the Colorado River Basin and beyond.